


Water Is Benevolent

by orphan_account



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Badass Sokka, F/M, Fire Nation Courting, Internalized Misogyny, Katara and Aang are really chill, Katara is good at makeup, Kidnapping, More serious than the series, Most people don't notice Sokka is trans, POV Female Character, Sokka centric, Sokka is a bae, Trans Female Character, Trans character in fantasy, Trans girl Sokka, Zuko is a lil bit more manipulative/politically savvy, Zuko is kinda a dick sometimes, and tries to kick ass, most of the time tbh, who is also a warrior
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-20
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-03-08 10:26:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3205844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Water is Benevolent. There is nothing benevolent about war. The Southern Water Tribe is not benevolent, not anymore."</p><p>Cikuq is fifteen when she finds the Avatar, and when she finds herself. (Or, the trans girl Sokka fic I've beem promising myself for years + a serious/more blatantly violent series re-write + Zuko kidnapping Sokka and Sokka not having any of that)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Water Is Benevolent

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I finally did it! I sat down, and power watched eight episodes of ATLA this afternoon, so I could write the prologue. Fair warned is fair armed, there's violence in this, like, way more so than in the series. It's a war, and people die, and any canon divergence is because of that fact, not because Sokka is trans. I just wanted to point that out, because later I think that'll be important to stress.  
> There is also possibly going to be consent issues, but I haven't gotten there yet, so I don't want to definitively say in the tags yet.  
> Also also, since Sokka and Katara's father is technically a really important/ possibly the top chief in the Southern Water Nation, that's part of the reason Zuko later takes her for security against the Water Nation, and for bait for Aang. Yay Zuko being a dick.

Water is Benevolent. There is nothing benevolent about war. The Southern Water Tribe is not benevolent, not anymore. Sokka, looking out on the water, can see the reflections of tired, haggard faces, children huddling in the openings of tents, and a small fire, not nearly warm enough, sending smoke into the night air.

Katara is sitting in the opening of their tent, staring at the fire. Most nights, that's where she is, staring into the fire like it's wronged her, and like it holds all the secrets of the universe.

Sokka finishes filling the water skins, and leans over the water to look at his reflection. He can see the fire reflecting in water, reflecting in his own eyes. He thinks of his mother, and pulls away, shuddering.

When he sits down next to Katara, he bumps his shoulder against hers, and smiles. "Hey." He says, just above a whisper.

Katara looks up from the fire, and smiles back. It doesn't reach her eyes, and he wraps his arm around her.

As he looks around the fire, he thinks, War is a rotten bastard. He's the only warrior, the inly man in the village. He can't be benevolent, either. (And he can't focus on the strange pang in his chest that that brings.)

\----

Long before his mother died, Sokka can remember her stroking her stomach, and whispering with his father, about the Avatar. About whether or not there was one, anymore. When Sokka had asked her what the Avatar was, she had told him about the great masters of the elements. Of the benders who could do no wrong, could bring peace, who could end this war. 

She had never said anything about a twelve year old boy. Whose only defense is a staff and giving himself over to fire benders. Who Sokka was able to defend just as well as his village: he couldn't. Who had let hope blossom in his sister's eyes just to let it be stamped out again.

Of course they go to rescue him. Fire is fierce, and so is Sokka. 'Show no fear.' Later, when Katara has fallen asleep, he has to bandage his feet, because they got frost-bitten inside the ice she had bended onto his feet.

\---

They've only been travelling for a week when they stop at Kyoshi. It's beautiful, until they're almost fed to a sea creature by women. When Suki beats him, he spends the whole night trying to figure out what his problem is. Why he's so obsessed with being better than a woman.

It's not until the mayor of Kyoshi calls him a girl that he understands. Because that felt right. He tries to protest, but he's already gone.

When he fights with Suki, and the rest of the warriors of Kyoshi, it feels right. The skirt around his legs feels right. Being called a girl feels right.

If he starts hyperventilating, he hopes his sister thinks it's from Aang diving into the water. But it's not. For the first time in his whole life, he feels like himself, when people think of him as a woman.

After Aang and Katara have fallen asleep, he tries calling himself a girl. Tries to make his voice sound higher, as he whispers. "Hi." He says. "I'm Sokka." 

He tries thinking of himself as a woman. She finds that she likes it. But, Sokka isn't a girl's name. Sokka is the best warrior in his tribe. She is someone different. A Kyoshi warrior. He thinks on names that the women in his tribe had talked about naming their children. Miki, Pukiq, Cikuq. Cikuq. Ice. Not water, but a weapon. Cikuq, the Kyoshi warrior. She smiles, and tries it out. "Hello," she says. "My name is Cikuq."

\----

When Katara wakes up the next morning, Cikuq considers her options. She could tell her, but, what if she doesn't understand? What if she wakes Aang up? What if Aang doesn't understand? What if Aang, who is the Avatar, tells her that she's wrong? Katara will never believe her then.

But Katara solves the problem herself. "Sokka, do you want some help washing that makeup off?" She asks.

"No! Er, I mean... Katara, you remember all those things about- about women, that I said? And how men are better than them at some things? Well, I was wrong. I was totally, totally wrong. And- andIthinkImightbeawoman." She said it so fast she wasn't sure she'd even heard it herself.

"Um, say that again?" Katara asked.

Cikuq took a deep breath. She could totally do this. Just her sister. "I said, I think I might be one. A woman."

"Okay, just to be clear Sokka, you're saying you think you might be a woman? As in, a girl?" Katara asked.

"Yeah." Cikuq's voice is a whisper by the end. She might be crying.

"Sokka, hey. It's not that bad." Katara smiles at her. "Aang says we'll be visiting a city today. We can get you a dress that's a little more 'Water Tribe.' If they don't have anything, I'll make you one, okay?" Katara wraps her arms around her, and Cikuq crushes her a little, hugging her back.

\----

As it turns out, they don't buy a dress, or material, but they do almost die. Via rockcandy.

Katara asks King Bumi for some fabric, though, and as they fly, Katara makes her a dress.

"Hey, Katara, what's with the extra dress?" Aang asks, when it starts to look like an extra dress.

Katara looks at her. "I think Sokka should explain it to you."

"There's not really- that much to explain. It's just." Cikuq tries speaking louder (No fear) "I'm a woman. So Katara's making me a dress." 

Aang looks between the dress, Katara, and Cikuq for a minute, then nods. "Okay then." He smiles. "Hey, Sokka, do you still want us to call you Sokka?"

Cikuq shakes her head. "I- I decided on a name the other day. Cikuq."

"Cool! Well, I'm gonna go try to find where MoMo went. Seeya Katara! Bye Cikuq!" And then Aang leaves.

It's easy, almost too easy. She had been worrying about nothing.

\---

When her sister decides to be intentionally captured by fire benders, that is not worrying about nothing. She'd managed to start making her voice sound more feminine, and no one had even called her a strong 'young man' this time.


End file.
